Mukanya gig lives up to billing

Arts ReportersFor four hours, he was on stage serenading people with old hits. He showed them that he still has the energy, singing and showcasing some dance styles. Thomas Tafirenyika Mukanya Mapfumo was on top of his game. What a grand return of the lion!

It was not a usual show at Glamis Arena on Saturday; it was an exceptional gig and a memorable event for Mukanya and his fans.

He came, he performed and he entertained. After a 14-years absence from local showbiz, Mukanya did justice to his return through an exciting show.

He roared as he went on stage after midnight and the atmosphere changed within a few minutes. Some pressed towards the stage, others whistled and ululated to salute their legend.

And he knew that they wanted hits. As he went on stage he belted hit after hit.

His playlist was fantastic as he sang most of the popular songs.

Clad in all-black, Mukanya made sure everyone gets the best.

He came on stage after Winky D had set the bar high for performers of the night.

Winky D is known for outclassing international acts because of his approach, but he failed to maintain the record against Mukanya.

Winky D played most of his hits and sent the crowd wild when Oliver Mtukudzi joined him on stage for the song “Panorwadza Moyo”. It was a rare occasion because they rarely perform the song live together.

So, when they did the collaboration it was a big statement about the event.

But they could not eclipse Mukanya’s performance.

The beginning of Mukanya’s grand night came when the musician’s band went on stage and did a perfect job even before their master came to join them.

The multiracial team proved that many instruments can interlink and bring about a perfect sound. Mbira players complemented each other well, guitarists intertwined their strings in perfect sound, vocalists sang with zeal.

Most people did not expect Mukanya to be on stage for four hours because of his age and apparent frailty. He defied everything and enjoyed the homecoming event. The way he sang and danced showed that he was happy to be back home. After the old and popular hits, he rounded up his performance by belting out the new song that can be roughly titled “Chauya Chauya”.

Most people enjoyed the new song and its appeal was enhanced by the fact that he had performed beyond twilight.

He reminded people of his old days when he would churn out hits until sunrise. It was indeed a memorable affair and many people are calling for his return to the stage.

Winky D

Other musicians that performed at the event did their part when they kept the crowd on its feet with their hits and Winky D was the most outstanding artiste of the night besides Mukanya. Tuku tried his best but it seemed as if he was not on top of his game. He did well but the crowd only enjoyed a few songs from him.

Sulu reminded people of the great hits that his father churned before he unleashed his personal hits.

Diana showed people why she was roped in to represent female musicians.

She did well with her skills and played mbira to appreciation.

It was a memorable night and many should be saluting the echoes of chants “Zimbabwe”or “Yahwe”, which Mukanya regularly made during his performance.